Hot water stinks

[Tim Frank]

Re: Hot water stinks

The smell of rotten eggs is Desulfovibrio bacteria. It thrives in warm water in the presence of magnesium. Chlorinate the tank to kill it then replace the rod with an aluminum one.

OP doesn't seem to have isolated the source to the exact cause yet, but if it is definitely originating in the HWT, that would be the cheapest and easiest first step.

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Hot water stinks

I think it is more of a rotten egg smell. After reading the link PiratePast posted it makes since. Water from the coffee brewers heat the water to an excess killing the bacteria.

I have 3 things I can do:

1. Call the manufacture and see which anode to use

2. Turn the t-stat up which I have been wanting to do to aid in cleaning greasy kitchen equipment components

3. Install a chlorniator pump. We have 3 spares of these pumps sitting on the shelf. Just need to get the ok from the boss to get one of them plumbed into the water feed system.

Something else I have noticed. The water bib faucet close to the well room has excellent pressure. Then where the water heater is located (in a restroom just off of my shop) is about 100 feet away, the water pressure has dropped considerable to the fauct by the well room. (It is a deep well) It is a half inch copper line that brings the cold water over from the well room. I did notice that there was another line that was abandoned. Apparently there was a hot and cold at one time. I think over time the hot water line ended up either creating a leak or clogged completely up. I know that it is going to be a matter of time that the only line left is going to need replaced. This is going to be a bad situation as the lines are under the slab. To run the line ovehead is going to be a problem as about 60' of the run is in a non-heated area. I guess the other alternative is to either plow or trench a line from the well room to the restroom outside around the building. However that is hopefully in the distant future. Now I just need to get rid of the smell.

Thanks again..it is appreciated........SS

A 100' run of 1/2" sch 40 pipe at 5 gpm would have a pressure drop in the neighborhood of 35-40 psi (.38 psi/ft). You're probably losing close to half of the supply pressure at that size and length of run. Add an equivalent length of 1.6ft for all elbows and 3.1ft for branch tees and the pressure loss gets even larger. As the flow increases....the pressure drop increases exponentially. Just to give you some insight...a 3/4" sch 40 pipe flowing at 5 gpm over that same 100' would only lose 10-15 psi.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Hot water stinks

If he thinks it is "almost too soft", and that is a personal observation, I am not sure why you would try to correct him.


Hardness comes from many sources other than limestone..

Beg to differ Tim. This is a paragraph from a link for the WQA. Calcium and Magnesium are components of LIMESTONE.

Hard Water
Because more than 60 percent of the earth's water is groundwater, it travels through rock and soil picking up minerals, including calcium and magnesium along the way. These two contaminants produce what is commonly referred to as "hardness" in water.

Here is the link.

http://www.wqa.org/sitelogic.cfm?ID=477

As to TOO SOFT. The idea substance that we refer to as water is simply H2O with nothing mixed in with it. To claim that one does not like soft water is one thing. To claim it is TOO SOFT, is entirely different. In almost every circumstance, the ideal is water with NO dissolved limestone in it.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Hot water stinks

Geez, let's not read too much into it. It is what it is. I see you'd prefer I said "Perhaps too effective at removing all the minerals"? Too wordy. Most people understood the meaning.

When the softener was new, you'd almost break your neck in the shower and it was a problem getting all the soap rinsed off. TOO SOFT. There, I said it again.

One of the reasons I don't post here much. People are too anal about terminology and semantics...

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Hot water stinks

Geez, let's not read too much into it. It is what it is. I see you'd prefer I said "Perhaps too effective at removing all the minerals"? Too wordy. Most people understood the meaning.

When the softener was new, you'd almost break your neck in the shower and it was a problem getting all the soap rinsed off. TOO SOFT. There, I said it again.

One of the reasons I don't post here much. People are too anal about terminology and semantics...

Well said....
I actually went and read some of the stuff on that website that Boom posted, and they actually "differ" with him and agree with me.......and you...

But we are hijacking SSM's post so back on point....

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Hot water stinks

Its been several days since I cranked the temp up to 150. I like the hot water as it sure helps cut the gummy kitchen grease on the equipment. The odor is still there, but not as overwhelming as before. It is a bit stronger in the morning, but after running the tap for awhile it does get less. But maybe I'm getting use to it it

Picked up a different anode. I would take it completely out, but it could cause a reaction creating electrolisis which can and will eat holes in the tank. I had this problem at the country club I worked at years ago. Just 1 month after a company installed new hot water storage tanks, electrolisis ate at the copper 2" line making small pin holes. The company installed them without die-electric fittings on the tank and circulating pump.

If changing the anode does not completely correct the problem, then shocking the well will be the next step.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Hot water stinks

Its been several days since I cranked the temp up to 150. I like the hot water as it sure helps cut the gummy kitchen grease on the equipment. The odor is still there, but not as overwhelming as before. It is a bit stronger in the morning, but after running the tap for awhile it does get less. But maybe I'm getting use to it it

Picked up a different anode. I would take it completely out, but it could cause a reaction creating electrolisis which can and will eat holes in the tank. I had this problem at the country club I worked at years ago. Just 1 month after a company installed new hot water storage tanks, electrolisis ate at the copper 2" line making small pin holes. The company installed them without die-electric fittings on the tank and circulating pump.

If changing the anode does not completely correct the problem, then shocking the well will be the next step.

I think you want to shock the HWT first....your description does not sound like it is a well problem.
Get a cup of bleach into the tank and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then flush it out by opening all the HW taps you can.